1 Field of the invention
This invention relates to a bioreducible and non-toxic vegetable oil, in particular, soybean oil paint which is capable of (i) drying in a period of time that is longer than acrylics or watercolors but shorter than conventional oil base paints, (ii) reducing noxious ingredients which cause allergic reactions, and (iii) can be applied so as to give the effect of an oil finished painting or watercolor effect, if applied thinly.
Artistis using conventional oil base paints are plagued by chronic, often severe, physical side effects to ingredients contained therein. In particular, artists often suffer ailments such as respiratory problems, headaches and skin lesions directly attributable to ingredients in paints such as turpentines, alcohols, mineral spirits, toxic fumes, heavy metals, and volatile organic compounds. These systems can be so debilitating that, for want of a feasible alternative, some artists have been forced to give up painting in a particular medium, such as oils. Still further, although these ingredients are harsh for adults, they are even worse for young adults and children.
In the past, attempts to use soy oil which is abundant and cheap, have failed because drying techniques have proven futile.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Paintings have existed in one form or another dating back to caveman days. Over time, paint products have evolved. Present day artists can choose many products including watercolor paints, acrylic paints or oil paints. Watercolors and acrylics tend to be fast drying paints. An acrylic paint placed on a palette tends to dry in about one hour after which time the artist must reapply to the palette and re-mix the color. By contrast, oil paints dry on the canvas or surface used over a much longer period of time up to six months or longer. Further, oil paints are characterized by the most noxious of ingredients, including but not limited to, turpentine, alcohol, mineral spirits and volatile organic solvent. Still further, oil paints have been "improved" by the addition of plasticizers in order to provide pliability thus preventing a painting from becoming brittle upon aging. All these "improvements", however, have added more noxious and environmentally hazardous materials to paints.
European Pat. No. 403302 discloses an oil-base artists' paint composition comprising a plasticizer, oil, a thermoplastic resin and other toxic chemicals such as, but not limited to, PVC-isobutyl ether.
Japanese Pat. No. 60006763 discloses a composition to prevent retard drying of residual oil paint, i.e., remaining on a pallet, comprising oil, plasticizer, and other toxic chemicals such as, but not limited to, butylhydroxytoluene, butyl acetate, benzene and toluene. This composition is applied over the residual paint by brushing or spraying.
Presently available paints tend to be highly toxic with strong noxious odors which frequently cause symptoms of allergic reaction such as headaches, rashes, respiratory problems, and irritated eyes. This is a particular problem for artists who sometimes work in poorly ventilated studios. Further, disposal of residual paint and paint ingredients containing PVC's, toluene, benzene and many other of the components found in present day paint, such as the two listed above, is becoming a problem to manufacturers and artists. Such disposal is highly restricted under various laws and regulations such as the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) of 1976 which is enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency.
This invention produces a new paint base that maintains the quality, color depth and richness of a conventional oil base paint but reduces, if not eliminates, levels of many toxic ingredients found in conventional paints. Soybean oil is rarely used even as a trace component of conventional oil paints because it is considered a "semi- or non-drying oil". For this reason, guidebooks used by manufacturers recommend against using soybean oil for oil paints, most particularly as the predominant component. This invention provides a paint base which, when combined with a colorant and optional filler, has a drying time which more closely approximates the work time of the artist on a single painting. Such drying time allows the artists to keep the color on the palette without re-mixing over a period of time, preferably, greater than about 1 hour but less than about 10 days. The picture drying time is less than about 5 months, more preferably, about 1 month.
The invention contains ingredients which far surpass levels considered toxic for adults and children under the Guidelines established by the American Toy Manufacturers Association standards (ASTM F-963-86) pursuant to federal guidelines set out in Title 16 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 1000 to end, of the Consumer Product Safety Act. The paints produced when practicing the instant invention are not to be construed as child-safe or edible. They are designed to be used by artists, students and adults who wish to paint. However, the paints are so environmentally friendly, that should accidental ingestion occur, any ill effects would be drastically reduced, if not eliminated, when compared to accidental ingestion of conventional oil paints.
Further still, because the present invention dries faster than conventional oil base paints, the need for finishers, sealers and other toxic chemicals used by artists to protect the finished oil painting is eliminated. These finishers, sealers and chemicals tends to be highly toxic and often cause the colors to dull or yellow.
Still further, an artist may work on a single painting over the course of several months. Although there is no "typical" artist, a drying time for the paint on a pallet of about five to ten days is a median amount of time to allow continued work on a single painting without remixing. A paint which dries too quickly can necessitate frequent re-mixing often never quite the same color as the original. However, a painting which takes too long to dry will never makes its way out of the studio to the gallery wall for display. A drying time which more closely approximates an application on a single workpiece would be particularly useful as it would eliminate both extremes. Solving the problem of the drying times without compromising richness and quality on the one hand and without increasing toxic additives on the other hand has proven to be a difficult task.
None of the prior art solves the problem of providing a non-toxic, bioreducible paint or paint base which (i) is comprised predominantly of vegetable oil, more particularly soybean oil, (ii) dries within a period of at least one hour but less than 5 months, preferably 10 days, (iii) possess the quality, richness, and pliability of conventional oil base paints and (iv) reduces, if not eliminates, the odor and irritation associated with harsh chemicals, in particular, turpentine, alcohol, mineral spirits, and other volatile organic compounds.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a relatively non-toxic and biodegradable oil paint which dries in about at least one hour but less than about 5 months.
It is a further object of this invention to prepare an oil paint using vegetable oil, more particularly, soybean oil as the predominant ingredient.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a paint base which, when mixed with a colorant blend, meets or exceeds the quality and color depth of conventional oil paints.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a paint base which when mixed with colorant blend and further thinned by a thinning medium produces a watercolor-like effect on watercolor paper.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a method for producing a relatively non-toxic, bioreducible paint with variable drying time wherein said variability is selected for drying between about at least one hour and in less than 5 months.